Hello, Everyone!
Last time in the story of our Mary Windfiddle, we went to see one of the elven Elders, Balaine Endoras. He was really interested in the secret Message Mary had sent him during the Council of Hundred, but Mary wasn’t eager to talk about that. She was worried that her friends will find out she’d sent it behind their backs. So, she mumbled her way through the conversation until she said something that really angered the Elder – that the new Empire could, you know, be a nice thing, maybe?
(A little reminder for those of you who can’t remember everything about the Empire: its last ruler, Ignas II, died nearly 50 years ago, and now his grandson, the 14-year-old Edmund Bright, wants to unite the land under his rule.)
The room fell into tense silence. Balaine Endoras was standing, his brawny figure hulking over Mary who’d fully shrunk into herself. Afraid to even breathe, she bit into her lips and felt her eyes begin to water.
Last time she’d felt so small and helpless was in Nurvureem’s clutches.
“If I were to see Ignas with my own eyes, I’d personally offer him my help to revive the Empire!” Endoras boomed. “But the little brat is not--and will never be--him.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Mary saw Aurum move. He leaned in front of the Elder’s face and gave him one of his suggestive winks.
“By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask,” he purred. “Does a busy man like you have a life partner?”
Mary heard Tesaya choke. Endoras, however, took a deep breath and composed himself. Was that a twinkle in his eyes?
“I’ve been happily married for over four hundred years,” he said.
“Oh,” the bard said, without missing a beat, “isn't four hundred years way too long?”
And he flashed him a smile.
A new silence, this time out of shock, filled the room. Mary was sure that their standing with the Elder was completely ruined now. First it was her cryptic Message with no follow-up, then her pro-Emperor talk, and now, the bard’s inappropriate flirting. She was sure Aurum’d done it to get her out of trouble, but now it was him who was under the Elder’s fierce stare.
“Mr. Endoras, I was wondering,” Bruno said calmly, as if there was nothing intense happening. “Can you show us that amazing bow of yours?”
Endoras straightened his back and smoothed his hair. His expression changed completely. He looked at his weapon and smiled with pride and delight.
He raised his hand and the bow jumped from the pedestal right into his open palm. Now that all eyes were on it, the item flexed even more lively, as if to show off its capabilities.
Balaine Endoras carefully picked out one of the living tree’s twigs and pulled it off. It separated with ease and straightened into a spike-like arrow. The moment the elf held Fen’thras in position for shooting, the bow stopped twisting and strained, its wood creaking violently. Balaine Endoras drew the string and it vibrated with the immense strenght of his pull. Finally released, the living arrow whooshed in the air and passed through the wall, leaving only a small hole a few inches above the door.
The Elder looked at the group as if to see their reaction, and held the bow above its pedestal. It jumped back to its place and continued its hypnotic dance, balancing in the air.
“Where did you get that from?” Mary whispered, enamoured by the bow’s magic.
“It was a gift from a powerful Archfey,” he said. “Gillean was his name.”
Mary gasped.
“I know him!” she exclaimed. “He’s my Patron!”
The elf looked at her with curiosity. She licked her lips nervously. She desperately wanted to learn more about that man’s relationship with Gillean, but she didn’t know how to ask. She’d already made so many bad impressions that she thought he was sure to dismiss her or get angry again.
But if Gillean gave him a present, then he was trustworthy. She wanted to make sure he knew that. She touched her copper ring and Messaged him.
“I’m sorry about my strange behaviour,” she whispered into his head. “Can we talk later?”
His eyes narrowed again and he didn’t reply to the Message. He looked her straight in the eyes with the face of someone that’s had enough, and spoke out loud.
“Yes, we can.”
The rest of Mary’s group looked at him confused, but Bruno held his eyes on her. Did he sense her cast the spell?
They thanked Balaine Endoras for his time and headed to the exit.
“If you ever change your mind about the whole marriage thing, just let me know,” Aurum said, going out.
“What the heck, Mary? What was that inside?!” Bruno confronted her when they got out and away from the building.
Mary desperately tried to lighten the mood. “A… a bow?”
“You know what I’m talking about!” he shouted.
Mary felt like he’d slapped her. Bruno was usually so calm and understanding, but she’d managed to make him angry.
“I… I…” she stammered. “I’m sorry! I Messaged Mr. Endoras, back during the Council. I didn’t tell you, I’m sorry!”
The others didn’t say anything. Mary looked at them and saw what she could only recognize as disappointment. It was Tesaya who finally spoke.
“Mary, why don't you trust your friends?” she said sternly. “I understand not trusting me – you’ve known me for two days. But them?” She gestured towards Bruno and Aurum. “You seem to have been together for a long time, and I’m sure that you’ve saved each others’ lives many times over! Don’t the people closest to you deserve your trust?”
Mary’s head was buzzing with guilt. Tesaya was right. It was all her fault. She had disappointed her friends, her only friends, and now they were angry with her. She didn’t deserve to be with them!
Her thoughts were all scattered and jumbled together, and she felt like they didn’t make any sense. Her heart thumped violently inside her chest. The trees closed in around her, trapping her in this place. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. She wanted to disappear, to get away, to escape.
So she turned away and ran.
Uh-oh! Mary, why did you do that? Lying to your friends? Running away? What are you going to do now?!
Oh, well. As a person who was tought very early in life that lying to your friends can ruin the friendship itself, I can relate to my poor Mary. Let’s hope that her foolish actions won’t affect her relationships for good.
See you in the next part!
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide and the Glossary for the series. You're welcome!)
An important disclaimer: These are my notes from a D&D game turned into a narrative. All the worldbuilding and NPC encounters belong to our DM, and all the actions of the other main characters (Aurum and Bruno) belong to my co-players. My contribution to the story is only everything Mary-related (actions, reactions, inner thoughts), as well as the writing itself.
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